UNC ‘peppers’ Sahadeo

Government Minister Christine Sahadeo’s allegation that there was “deliberate dissemination of misinformation to former Caroni employees by a number of well-known detractors”, caused an uproar from the Opposition benches in the House of Representatives on Friday. “Nonsense!” UNC MPs shouted. “The newspaper ads didn’t work!” UNC Leader Basdeo Panday shot back. Sahadeo had a hard time from the Opposition UNC as she piloted the Caroni Vesting Bill. She said Government had to take a more proactive role in informing employees about the available training as a result of Opposition tactics. This approach paid off, bringing increased participation (in training programmes) by the former workers. “Many of the former employees have found meaningful employment,” she said.

“How many?” Opposition MPs asked. She cited the Sugar Manufacturing Company Limited, the refinery and the shipping company as areas where former Caroni workers  were employed. She added that former employees, approximately 4,000 private farmers, continue to produce sugar for the Sugar Manufacturing Company. The bill will enable the Government to honour its commitment to the former workers of Caroni 1975 Limited, she said. She added that it would also allow the Estate Management and Business Development Company Limited to manage the lands of Caroni and Orange Grove and stimulate and facilitate economic activity in certain areas through the establishment of light manufacturing. She said Government remained committed to giving priority to leasing much of the lands to those former workers who did not own a home. She added that 20 sites had already been identified for residential lots and Government had written to workers advising them of their eligibility to these lots.

Sahadeo said the Developmental Plan would identify further the blueprint which Government planned to work with. “Where the plan?” UNC MPs asked, arguing that Government should have presented the Plan to Parliament before it attempted to “fire” Caroni workers. As Sahadeo talked about the high cost of producing sugar at Caroni 1975 Limited, Opposition MP, Roodal Moonilal asked : “What a ton of grass cost in CEPEP? Sahadeo said in 2002 Caroni produced sugar at $US735 per ton, which was 1.4 times the cost of other Caribbean countries, two times what it cost in Africa and 2.7 times the cost of the 10 lowest-cost producers. “That is what you get from Melville Shipping,” Moonilal said, referring to Sahadeo’s former job as MD of the shipping company.

As she spoke of the benefits of the Enhanced VSEP Package, Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday corrected: “They were sent home.”  She said 7,800 daily-paid workers paid no tax. “They got no money, how they going to pay tax?” Couva MP Kelvin Ramnath countered. When Sahadeo attempted to talk about the training the workers received, Opposition MPs kept pressing for her to say how much people were employed. “Yuh sell yuh soul to these people,” Ramnath stated. Sahadeo said psychological and financial advisory services were given to former workers.